Disease ruled out in Kauai whale deaths

Hawaii News

Nov 30, 2017

HONOLULU (AP) — Scientists investigating last month’s stranding of five pilot whales on Kauai’s Kalapaki Beach have ruled out disease as the cause of the beaching.

The Honolulu Star-Advertiser reported Wednesday that the scientists say something sudden must have triggered the stranding, but they’re still not sure exactly what caused the whales to beach themselves.

The whales beached themselves Oct. 13. Two of them died in the morning and three were found dead later in the day.

The Navy reported it did not conduct sonar work within 24 hours of the event, within 5 nautical miles of the area.

State Rep. Dee Morikawa said that she’s been researching whether the stranding was linked to the state’s deployment of rat poison on Lehua Island.